Kentucky Oaks 2017: Big Preps Coast-to-Coast

Whether or not you believe that Unique Bella was a near certainty to win the 2017 Kentucky Oaks, there can be no doubt that her setback has given connections of other fillies more reason to picture themselves in the jubilant winner's circle on May 5. This past Saturday, Farrell stepped up, for the fourth consecutive time, as a strong contender for favoritism on the first Friday in May with a resounding win in the Fair Grounds Oaks, while in Florida, Salty announced herself as perhaps the division's brightest up and comer with an impressive win in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. This weekend there is even more at stake, as three key preps are contested coast-to-coast, with a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate on the line.

The Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks brings together a small, but quality field of seven to the Arcadia oval. Abel Tasman, making her first start out of the Bob Baffert barn, after former trainer Simon Callaghan was unceremoniously dumped over a silks snafu, is certainly the filly to beat. The good looking bay finished off 2016 with a Grade 1 performance in winning the Starlet at Los Alamitos, and in her only race this year, she became the first filly to challenge Bella during that one's win streak.

The daughter of Quality Road will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, after Joe Talamo, who rode her in each of her five lifetime starts, was collateral damage in the barn switch. While Abel Tasman rates top billing, any letdown after the Unique Bella test, will make her vulnerable to upset against several interesting fillies.

Chief among them is the second stringer for trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer. It Tiz Well got out of town last time to win the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. The daughter of Arch would be on a four-race winning streak if not for the sound defeat she was given by Unique Bella in the Las Virgenes. Mopotism and Princess Karen are two other fillies that would also be riding a winning streak if not for the powerful division leader. Both fillies get their chance to succeed in a Grade 1 sans Bella. 

The final three for the Santa Anita Oaks all are interesting, especially Paradise Woods. The Union Rags filly has only had two sprints so for Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, but looks like she could be any kind. The field is rounded out by Majestic Quality, who is still a maiden, but rallied nicely last time to be second behind Farrell in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra, and Bernina Star, who broke her maiden by more than nine lengths in her most recent try on dirt.

The Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland is a curious affair in that five fillies are listed somewhere between 5-2 and 4-1 on the morning line. Of them, four of the five like to come from behind, which could open the door for natural speed of the California invader, Tapped. Having said that, the LNJ Foxwoods filly will need to prove that she can handle a quality field like she will find on the Blue Grass undercard.

Among those looking to run her down include four fillies who with a big effort on Saturday could head to the Oaks with a real shot to make some noise. Elate, from the barn of Bill Mott, might have the most potential of any of them. The Medaglia d'Oro filly finished full of run last time to be third after a slow start in the Honeybee. That was only her third lifetime start, so improvement is expected.

The other three big names are equally interesting stretch runners. Pretty City Dancer is a Grade 1 winner looking to rebound after a uncharacteristic performance in the Davona Dale. Daddys Lil Darling is also a graded stakes winner, who is coming off a useful seasonal debut on the grass, while Summer Luck is an improving daughter of Lookin at Lucky, and like Pretty City Dancer, she hails from the strong Mark Casse barn.

And finally, we have the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct. Though not likely to produce one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks,  it could send a filly to Louisville on a five-race winning streak, in Miss Sky Warrior. Always game, the daughter of First Samurai has good tactical speed, and has proven that she has a desire for the wire. In each of her last three starts for trainer, Kelly Breen, the Kentucky homebred could not be caught in hard-earned, graded stakes victories. She is also well proven over the Aqueduct main track.

Among her top challengers at Aqueduct on Saturday include; Yorkiepoo Princess, a winner of three straight stakes at the Big A, and the Busanda winner, Lockdown. The latter is a full sister to the excellent Close Hatches, and trained by Mott. Like Elate, the daughter of First Defence could be ready to take a big move forward for her Hall of Fame conditioner.